A method is known from the German patent document DE 10 2011 083 282 B3. The patent document describes a method for operating an electric switch having at least one movable switch contact which is moved by a movable armature of an electromagnetic actuator in order switch the switch on and off, wherein a spring device is disposed between the movable switch contact and the armature. In order to move the armature from a predefined starting position, in which the switch contacts are open, into a predefined armature end position, in which the switch contacts are closed and spring energy is stored in the spring device, a magnetic flux is generated in an excitation winding of the actuator by way of an excitation current being fed into the excitation winding.
The German laid-open application DE 195 44 207 A1 describes a control method for an actuator. In this method, in order to control the movement of an armature of the actuator, the displacement variables, i.e., the acceleration, the speed, and the particular location of the armature, are ascertained during the movement of the armature, specifically, inter alia, while evaluating the magnetic flux which flows through an excitation winding of the actuator. Utilizing the calculated displacement variables, a control of the current through the excitation winding takes place with consideration for maintaining a predefined sequence of motions for the actuator.